Road Trip: 01/14/17

Road Trip by Gary Paulsen and Jim Paulsen is a father and son collaboration about a trip to get a dog from a rescue shelter. But it's more than that. It's the sort of family, friendship building.

With road trips the rules are simple: have a map and keep your vehicle in good repair. Dad doesn't follow either of these rules. Nor does he tell Ben ahead of time. It's a first thing in the morning, spur of the moment type thing.

In the earliest of the automobile road trip books I've read, the journey required many more people than a modern day one does. In those early ones it's rarely the loan wolf trudging across the countryside. There is the need for a mechanic, a cook, sometimes even a driver, and for the least inhabited areas, some form of protection.

As Ben is the narrator of this road trip (save for some end of chapters commentary from the dog), then he is taking an old school road trip. He has his dad as his driver, his dog as protection, and later a mechanic and a waitress.

All in all it's a humorous deconstruction of the classic road trip with a heartwarming goal, namely a puppy. There's a sequel, Field Trip that I plan to read.

Five stars

Comments (0)